Flume



UNITED STA'llES PATENT OFFICE.

FLUME.

Application led October 7, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, EDWARD C. Donk, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Fiume, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to sheet metal flunies for conducting water and other liquids, and more particularly to joint construction for sheet metal flume sections.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a leak-proof, inexpensive, strong, simple and durable joint, for sheet metal iiume sections which, when the metal sections are subjected to temperature changes, will permit of relative movement of the sections to compensate for expansion and contraction, without in any way weakening or loosening, or causing leakage at thejoints. Another object of the invention is to pro vide an inexpensive means for securely supporting and anchoring the fiume or flume sections in position.

Another object is to provide a flume of the character described which will have a smooth interior surface, free from all obstructions at the joints of the flume sections.

The invention possesses other features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a cross section of'a flume constructed in accordance with my invention,

` taken through the flume to onel side of the joint. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l showing the joint construction. Fig. 3 is a sectional'vi'ew taken on line 3-3 of Fig.V 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section alview of the joint and the section supporting and anchoring means. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the joint strip. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the.` connecting bolt. Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional View of a modified forni of Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 4, 1921. Serial No. 328,991.

joint construction taken on line 7-7 of Fig.. 8. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 7, taken on one side of the joint and showingvv parts of the jointstructure in side elevation.

In accordance with my invention I provide a smooth slip joint in which the overlapped ends of metal fiume sections are outwardly offset and tightly but relatively movably clamped between two bands or strips that engage on the inner and outer surfaces of the fiume. The outer of the bands is channeled and receives the over lapped ends ofthe sections together with the inner strip, so that the inner strip is iiush with the inner surface of the sections and a smooth joint is provided.

Means of novel construction are provided to force thestrips together to clamp the overlapped ends and to secure the flume to supporting elements therefor, said means be- In accordance with my invention, sheet metal semicylindrical flume sections l, each having its ends offset outwardly, as at 2, are laid with said ends overlapping one another, and are vsupported between longitudinal sills or beams 3.

The joint forming means comprises a channeled band 4 which extends around the outer side of joint, receives the offset overlapping ends of the sections in the channel thereof and has its ends disposed above the sections. An inner clamping stri 5 'of less width than the channel is mounte upon the overlapped ends in the channel of the band 4, substantially flush with the inner` surfaces of the sectionsA l, and has its ends disposed above the ends of the band. The offset overlapped ends are not as wide as the channel in the band and the overlapped portions only are clamped between and by the strip and band, the shoulder or angularly extending portions 6 of said offset ends being spaced from the side walls of the channel' of the band and the edgesof the strip. The end edges of the sections are spaced from the adjacent shoulder portions 6 of the offset ends so as to' permit relative movement of th ends. y.

The means .for clamping the band and strip together and for supporting said strip and band together with the fiume sections comprises rectangular f lplates 7- secured by screws 8 to the sills 3. These plates extend out over the ends of the band 4 and strip o in engagement with the ends of the strip, and are directed downwardly slightly, as at 9, past the point of engagement with the strip 5. Openings 10 are formed in the plates to receive the threaded ends of bolts 11 and these bolts have flattened heads 12 which extend downwardlv and engage the outer faces of the band along the end portions of said band. Elongated openings 13 are formed inthe strip 5 adjacent the ends thereof and register with bolt holes 14 and 15 in the band l and bolt heads 12 respectively. Bolts 16 are inserted through these holes and openings and the heads 17 thereof engage the bolt heads 12. Nuts 18 are turned on the threaded ends ofthe bolts and en-l gage the strip 5. By tightening these nuts the strip is forced to engage the band and to clamp the overlapped ends 2 of the sections 1 between the band and strip.

Nuts 19 are turned on the upper ends of the bolts 11 and when tightened cause the plates 7 to bear down on the ends of the strip 5 and also exert an upward pull upon the band with the result that the band and strip are forced together and clamp the overlapped flume section ends between them. The elongated openings 13 for the bolts 16 -permit the strip to have longitudinal movement relative to the band when the band and strip are forced together. It will thus be seen that the band and strip may be clamped together by taking up on the bolts ll or 16, or both. After the joint is made tight, I lill in the space on both sides of the strip with an adhesive elastic substance 20, such as pitch, `to insure against leakage. This substance must be of a nature which will not crack when the sections move under expansion and contraction.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which the bolts extending through the band and strip and the nuts employed to hold these parts together are eliminated.

The flume sections 2O and 21 are overlapped and have outwardly offset ends 22 defining the angularly extending portion 23. An arcuate channeled band 24 extends under the flume around the outside of the over- `lapped ends of athe section and receives the overlapped ends in the channel thereof so as to space the portions 23 from the side walls of the channel.

An arcuate clamping strip 25 is mounted on the overlapped ends inside of the flume f from the opposed side portions of the strip and band and engage with the band and strip only on their flat overlapped portions so that the ends are permitted slight relative movement. A lling of elastic waterproof substance 26 is placed in the spaces on either side of the strip and portion 23 so as to make the joint leakproof. The strip filling and inner faces of the flume sections are substantially flush so that a smooth joint is provided.

The upper ends of the band 241 are outwardly offset and formed as screw threaded bolts 27. This structure may be formed by welding flat headed bolts to the backs of the upper ends of the bands.

A sill 28 is mounted on yeach side of the flume and plates 29 are secured to the sills 28 by bolts 30. These plates extend out over the sills and rest on the upper ends of the strip 25. The bolts 2 extend upwardly through the plates 29 and nuts 31 are turned on the upper ends of the bolts. By turning these nuts so as to take up on the bolts the plates will bear down on the strip, force the strip and band together and the offset overlapped ends 22 will be clamped between the strip and band. The inner ends ofthe plates 29 arebent angularly and downwardly as at 32 so as to prevent the strip 25 from spring ing out of place.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal flume, comprising semicylindrical flume sections having outwardly offset overlapped telescopic, semi-cylindrical ends, a channeled band extending around the outside of the flume and receiving the offset overlapped ends in the channel thereof, said offset ends being of less width than the channel in the band so that the ends are permitted relative movement in the channel of the band, and a cylindrical clamping strip of less width than the channel in the band mounted on the overlapped portion of said ends and within the channel.

2. A sheet metal flume, comprising sheet metal, semi-cylindrical flume sections, having outwardly offset, overlapped semi-cylindrical, telescopic ends, an arcuate channeled band extending around the outside of the flume and receiving the offset overlapped ends in the channel thereof, said offset ends being of less width than the channel and spaced from the side walls of the channel on each side of the overlapped portions thereof, and a clamping strip mounted in the channel ofthe band upon the overlapped portions with its side edges spaced from opposed offset portions, the latter spaced from the side walls lof the channel and an elastic packing at the sides of said strip.

3. A sheet metal flume, comprising semicylindrical flume sections having outwardly offset telescopic, overlapped, ends, a channeled band extending around the outside of the flume` andvreceiving the offset overlapped ends in the channels thereof, said offset ends being of less vwidth than the channel in the band forming clearances so that the ends are permitted relative movement in the channel of the band, a clamping strip of less width than the channel between the olisets of the ends, mounted on the overlapped portion of the ends, and means to force the strip and band together to relatively movably clamp the ends, said strip being substantially flush with the interior surface of the sections, and an elastic sealing substance mounted in the channel of the band between the sides and the strip and opposite portions of the offset ends.

4. A sheet metal flume, comprising sheet metal semi-cylindrical flume sections, an arcuate channeled band extending under and around the flume sections, said sections having outwardly olfset overlapped ends of less width than the channel in the band and extending into the channel with the angularly disposed portions thereof spaced from the side walls of the channels and forming clearances, a strip of less width than the channels mounted on the overlapped portions within the band and having its side edges spaced from the angularly extending portions of the oiset ends, and means to force the strip and band together to relatively movably clamp the overlappedends together.

5. A sheet metal flume, comprising sheet metal semi-cylindrical flume sections, an arcuate channeled band extending under and around the flume sections, said sections having outwardly offset overlapped ends of less width than the channel in the band and extending into the channel with the angularly disposed portions thereof 'spaced from the side walls of the channels, a strip of less width than the channels mounted on the overlapped portions within the band and having its side edges spaced from the angularly extending portions of the offset ends, and means to force the strip and band together to relatively movably clamp the overlapped ends together, said means comprising bolts carried by the band, said strip having elongated openings therein receiving said bolts, supports on opposite sides of the fiume, plates secured to the supports and extending over and engaging the ends of the strip, bolts vertically adjustably connected with the plates, and means to take up on the last named bolts whereby the plates will bear downwardly on the strip and force the strip and band together.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 15th day of September, 1919.

EDWARD C. DOAK.

In presence of- H. G. Pnos'r. 

